Automatic check-row corn-planter



(No Model.)

B. (3. GULVBR.

AUTOMATIC CHECK ROW CORN PLANTER.

No. 379,634. Patented M81". 20, 1888.

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GaQwwL UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEreE.

EBENEZER O. OULVER, OF MADRID, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC CH ECK-ROW CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,634, dated March20, 1888.

Application filed May 31, 1887. Serial No. 239,910.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EBENEZER O. CULVER, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Madrid, in the county of Boone and Stateof Iowa, have invented an Improved A utomatic Check-Row Gorn Planter,ofwhich the following is a specification.

My inventiouconsists in the construction and combination ofself-adjusting feet with the spokes or legs of a wheel, in theconstruction and coi'nbiuation of an auxiliary carriage with aplanter-carriage, and mechanism for converting rotary motion intoreciprocating rectilinear as required to transmit motion from therotating axle of the auxiliary carriage to the seed-slide at regularintervals.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings is a top view of my auxiliarycarriage. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the self-adjustingfeet. Fig. 8 is a vertical and longitudinal section of a completeplanter, showing the combination of all the parts. Fig. l is a detailView of the mechanism for converting mo tion. Jointly considered, thesefigures clearly illustrate the construction and operation of my completeinvention.

A represents the carriage frame of a planter upon wheels B, and O arunner-frame at the front end of the tractable carriage.

D is the frame of my auxiliary carriage.

F is a rotating axle in bearings fixed to the under side of the rear endof the frame.

G G are hubs fixed to the ends of the axle F. Six spokes or legs, h,radiate from the hubs and have adjustable feet on their ends, that willsuccessively tread upon the ground as required to make steps of uniformlength as the planter is advanced across a field. The feet are composedof metal frames J of quad rangular shape, that have transverse pieces tobrace them, and also to increase their hold upon the ground when theycome in contact therewith. Each foot J is hinged to the end of a leg hby means of a forked bearer, m, that is fixed to the leg, as shown inFig. 2, or in any suitable way that will allow the foot to adjust itselfas required when it touches the ground. Springs n are fixed to the legsin and the feetJ in such a manner that they will in their normalcondition hold the front end or toe of each foot elevated, so that theheel will come in contact with the ground first.

(N0 model.)

1' is a hub fixed to the center of the shaft F. It has pins 1 2 3projecting radially from its ends in such a manner that they willalternately engage the opposite sides of a toothed wheel, 8, that isjournaled in the bifurcated end of a lever, 10, as clearly shown in Fig.3. This lever is suspended upon a fulcrum, x, that extends down from across-piece in the frame D, and its front end and long arm are connectedwith the seed-slide y by means of a post, 2, fixed t0 the center of theslide, or in any suitable way, so that when the lever is vibrated itwill actuate the seed-slide as required to drop seeds from theseed-boxes.

b is a lever pivoted to the frame A and connected with the frame D bymeans of a rod, 0, in such a manner that a depression of the long arm ofthe lever will lift the frame D to keep the feet J from contact with theground as required to make the seed-dropping mech anism inoperativewhenever desired.

fare hingeirons fixed to the front corners of the frame D and pivoted toa vertical extension, A, on the front of the carriage-frame A in such amanner that the seed-dropping attachment will stride theplanter-carriage.

In practical use, when the planter is advanced in a field, feet J oneach side will simultaneously strike the ground, and one of the pins onone end of the hub T will strike the wheel 8 at the same instant, andthereby vibrate the lever 10 as required to operate the seed-slide andto drop seeds in parallel rows at uniform spaces apart, which spaceswill correspond with the distances between the centers of the feet J,that press the ground in we cession.

I am aware that self-adjusting shoes or feet have been combined with thespokes of a wheel and the wheel connected with a plantercarriage for thepurpose of marking the ground.

I am also aware that wheels having pointed spokes have been placed onthe ends of an axle that was adjustably hinged to a planter carriage andextended across the planter in such a manner that the axle could beraised and lowered to elevate and retain inoperative the I00 ing andcombining wheels having self-adjusting feet with seed-dropping mechanismand a planter-carriage, is novel and greatly advantageous, in that theself-adj usting feet prevent the wheels from slipping or sticking andthe able carriage and a runner-frame, an auxilary frame, D, hinged tothe planter-carriage, a rotating axle, F, having fixed hubs G, fixedlegs h, carrying self-adjusting feet J, a hub,

1", having pins 1 2 3 at its ends, a lever, w,

carrying a wheel, 3, and a lever, b, arranged and combined to operate inthe manner-set forth.

EBENEZER C. OULVER.

Witnesses:

R. H. ORWIG, THOMAS G. ORWIG.

